Rockies' Gonzalez closing in on return

July 09, 2014|Reuters

The Sports Xchange

MLB Team Report - Colorado Rockies - INSIDE PITCH

DENVER -- Carlos Gonzalez played right field on Monday and Tuesday in rehab games for Triple-A Colorado Springs, a prelude to him playing that position when he returns to the Colorado Rockies on Friday.

Gonzalez went on the disabled list June 4 with left index finger inflammation, and had a benign tumor removed from the finger on June 10.

In his first two games for Colorado Springs, Gonzalez went 3-for-6 with a double, home run and three RBIs. He is scheduled to play Wednesday and Thursday for Colorado Springs.

Gonzalez played left field exclusively this season for the Rockies. In his absence, Corey Dickerson has been starting in left field and has hit well. Dickerson has also played center field but not right field. Dickerson had soreness in his left wrist and wasn't available Wednesday, the result of falling on the wrist attempting to make a catch Tuesday night.

Dickerson is hitting .327 with 11 homers and 34 RBIs in 202 at-bats with a .392 on-base percentage and a .589 slugging percentage.

Rockies manager Walt Weiss said that before Gonzalez went out on his rehab assignment, he spoke to him about playing right field when he returns and the veteran was amenable. Gonzalez can play all three outfield positions but prefers not to be shifted around, and Weiss said that would not happen.

"He profiles well as a right fielder," Weiss said before the Rockies beat the Padres 6-3, "prototypical, really."

Gonzalez's strong arm is ideal making the throws to third base and home from right field. But Gonzalez has been playing left field, because it's deeper and more spacious at Coors Field than right field.

Gonzalez's return will force Weiss to again do more juggling with his outfielders. The Rockies began the season with six of them on the roster, but right fielder Michael Cuddyer suffered a fractured left shoulder socket last month and isn't likely to return until late August.

"I'll have to go back to mixing and matching," Weiss said. "But I'll find at-bats for everybody. It wasn't quite as tough as it was to start the season, because we still have one guy down in Cuddy. To start the season, we had six outfielders, and that was tough at times. But I'm not concerned about it. Those things have a way of working themselves out."

--1B Kyle Parker's single in the second was his first major league hit. Recalled Tuesday, Parker is in his second stint with the Rockies this season. Last month, he played in four games, one start, and went 0-for-6 with four strikeouts. He started Wednesday when 1B Justin Morneau was given a rest in a day game after a night game and with LHP Eric Stults pitching for the Padres. Manager Walt Weiss said the decision to rest the left-handed hitting Morneau had more to do with the former than the latter, since he's hitting .267 this season against lefties and was 2-for-6 lifetime against Stults. It was Stults, who gave up Parker's first hit in the big leagues.

--LF Corey Dickerson had limited range of motion and considerable soreness in his left wrist. The wrist was caught under Dickerson's body when made a sprawling attempt to catch a ball in the ninth inning Tuesday. Initially, Dickerson made the catch, but the ball came out of his glove as he rolled over onto the wrist. With an off day Thursday, the Rockies hope Dickerson's wrist improve to where he could play Friday. Regardless, either Dickerson or Charlie Blackmon, who like Dickerson is a left-handed hitting outfielder, wasn't going to play. Manager Walt Weiss said, "I don't look at Corey as strictly a platoon guy, especially now with the way our outfield is set up," Weiss said. "I wasn't sure if I was going to get him a day off. One of the lefties was going to have to sit inevitably, but it made it easy with the sore wrist."

--RF Charlie Blackmon led off the game with his 14th homer of the season and his fourth leadoff homer. All 14 of his homers have been from the leadoff spot, the most in the majors. His 47 RBIs from the leadoff spot also tops the majors. Blackmon's four leadoff homers tie a franchise record. Eric Young Sr. had four leadoff homers in 1996.

--SS Troy Tulowitzki hit two homers, giving him 20 for the season, second in the National League to Miami's Giancarlo Stanton (21). It was Tulowitzki's second multi-homer game of the season -- the other was May 5 against Texas -- and the 10th of his career. Tulowitzk's homer in the first gave him 600 career RBIs.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm careful about saying when wins are must-wins or what games are must-wins. But all things considered, we needed to win that series. We did what we had to do to win the game." -- Rockies manager Walt Weiss after beating the San Diego Padres 6-3 on Wednesday.